Stephen Poliakoff

There are many reasons 12
Years a Slave is so eloquent and powerful, from Steve McQueen's fluid
direction to John Ridley's first-rate screenplay and the cast of actors
unafraid to play some of the worst and
most heroic elements of character -- but at its heart, the film rests on Chiwetel
Ejiofo...

His name might be pretty much unfamiliar to all but the most fervent Anglophiles, but Stephen Poliakoff is something of a legend among British writers. He started his career as a playwright in the 1970s, before moving into television, which has hosted the bulk of his work, followed by feature f...